Low bmi and fasting

Honeyblossom

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Does anyone has any advice whether fasting is detrimental if you are a low weight to begin with. I am interested in 16/8 to reduce morning blood glucose readings but dont want to lose weight. Current BMI 20. Thank you!
 

LaoDan

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Does anyone has any advice whether fasting is detrimental if you are a low weight to begin with. I am interested in 16/8 to reduce morning blood glucose readings but dont want to lose weight. Current BMI 20. Thank you!
IMHO, you would be better off doing some light resistance training, fasting while lean is more likely to burn more muscle mass, decreasing the very engine that burns glucose. Imho, it’s better to increase lean mass which adds more insulin receptors .
 

ert

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I struggle to lose weight on 16/8 with low carb because of the calories I get from healthy fats such as cream, nuts, cheese, extra cheese, dark chocolate, avocadoes etc. If you're eating the same calories you shouldn't lose weight (just body fat loss and lean muscle gain.)
 

KK123

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I struggle to lose weight on 16/8 with low carb because of the calories I get from healthy fats such as cream, nuts, cheese, extra cheese, dark chocolate, avocadoes etc. If you're eating the same calories you shouldn't lose weight (just body fat loss and lean muscle gain.)

I've been a one meal a dayer for as long as I can remember (mainly due to shifts and a chaotic job) and at the moment I am on a keto diet. I am finding it hard to keep the weight on to be honest (always been around the middle of BMI) and now reducing to around 21. I struggle to eat enough cheese, nuts, cream, meat etc, in one meal, it makes me feel sick because those foods are so filling. I have a healthy appetite but just cannot pack in enough food to stop the weight loss. I've started to introduce a piece of cheese or similar at other times of the day because to be honest eating around 1600 calories in ONE sitting is becoming gross.
 
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Resurgam

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I found consistently higher BG levels when I did not eat in a morning.
Maybe before settling on a regime of fasting, try eating 12 hourly. That showed a marked difference in my levels after eating. I have, however, never bothered to test first thing in the mornings - as I have no way to 'fix' a high reading, but my Hba1c is 42 so not much of a problem.
 
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Honeyblossom

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Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I guess a bit of experimentation wont hurt. Could try a bit of resistance training...never thought of that. I forgot to mention I can only increase fats to a certain extent due to no gallbladder but 12/12 maybe a happy medium too.
 
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bulkbiker

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Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I guess a bit of experimentation wont hurt. Could try a bit of resistance training...never thought of that. I forgot to mention I can only increase fats to a certain extent due to no gallbladder but 12/12 maybe a happy medium too.
Quite a few people are gall bladder less around here.. although I can't recall who to tag them in.. extra fat should come as part of what you eat rather than extra so maybe some of the fattier cuts of meat so you get protein and fat combined.
 
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DCUKMod

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@Honeyblossom - My BMI is 18.5-19, so don't have much wiggle room for weightloss, but I have sometimes used fasting, albeit usually on long haul flights and such like, where I feel confident the food wouldn't make me happy, so I just choose to swerve it.

When I want to do that (the fast will usually be 36-48 hours- depending how you add in or take away time differences), I usually do a few days of carnivorous eating beforehand. I usually just do the carni - fattier meats, whether that is lamb, a fattier steak, belly pork or chicken thighs, right up until I get onto the aircraft, then that's it until I arrive, and have slept.

I don't think about what level of calories I'm taking in on the carni phase, but it'll be a few.

Many, many find the lack of gallbladder to be a red herring when low carbing. Personally, I have my gallbladder, but I do have a fat threshold. If I just eat too much - usually nut based fats, I experience steatorrhea. I won't describe it, but should it occur, I just dial back on the fats/nuts a bit until it subsides.

When I come out of the fast, my first meal will always be light. else my tummy can feel like I've eaten a boulder.

Obviously, we're all different, but for me it's doable provided I prepare.
 

Honeyblossom

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That's really helpful. So it's not just us gallbladderless people that experience problems with higher fat intake. I take my hat off to anyone managing 24 hour + fast, I'll experiment and see what works for me.
@Honeyblossom - My BMI is 18.5-19, so don't have much wiggle room for weightloss, but I have sometimes used fasting, albeit usually on long haul flights and such like, where I feel confident the food wouldn't make me happy, so I just choose to swerve it.

When I want to do that (the fast will usually be 36-48 hours- depending how you add in or take away time differences), I usually do a few days of carnivorous eating beforehand. I usually just do the carni - fattier meats, whether that is lamb, a fattier steak, belly pork or chicken thighs, right up until I get onto the aircraft, then that's it until I arrive, and have slept.

I don't think about what level of calories I'm taking in on the carni phase, but it'll be a few.

Many, many find the lack of gallbladder to be a red herring when low carbing. Personally, I have my gallbladder, but I do have a fat threshold. If I just eat too much - usually nut based fats, I experience steatorrhea. I won't describe it, but should it occur, I just dial back on the fats/nuts a bit until it subsides.

When I come out of the fast, my first meal will always be light. else my tummy can feel like I've eaten a boulder.

Obviously, we're all different, but for me it's doable provided I prepare.
 

DCUKMod

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That's really helpful. So it's not just us gallbladderless people that experience problems with higher fat intake. I take my hat off to anyone managing 24 hour + fast, I'll experiment and see what works for me.

To be honest, I think anyone going from a standard non-low carb diet to a 24+ hour fast could struggle, but having becomed accustomed to fuelling on protein and fat, which is very good for satiety, it's easier than you think.

When I first did it, I kept busy, but on flights, where periods of time are punctuated by food, drink and films, it's important, in my view, not to be hungry.

Good luck with whatever you decide to try
 

AloeSvea

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Fasting certainly has an impact on my morning blood glucose levels, at least for a couple of days after fasting, so I understand you wanting to use it as a treatment method.

@Honeyblossom - what is your HBA1c? If I may ask. Because long term 'just' low-carbing longterm may give you the result you want, anyway, without going without eating. When I fast periodically I know I have stores of fat, still, that my body draws on for sustenance, but you are very lean, so... On the other hand - if you have fat on your liver/in you pancreas it would draw on that for energy, which is what you want.

One thing that fasting also does which can be very helpful is shine a light on the role of food in your life, so you can better adapt to changes by responding to those roles, and filling them with something other than comfort food...

but if you are a lean type two, and on diagnosis? you are a rare type.

Personally, I would fast with medical assistance, if I was you. It could be online in these covid times of course. I did anyway, when I started fasting many many moons ago, until I was very confident, as I am now, about what I am doing. The medical assistance is essentially a back-up in case anything goes wrong, and is done in the form of lots of testing, to make sure all your organs and your metabolism is ticking along nicely...
 

Honeyblossom

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Thankyou for your comments @AloeSvea. I was hba1c of 40 on last test (april 20) and am awaiting next blood results. I was bmi 23 on diagnosis down to 20 after low carbing and taking on board all the great advice on this site. My main bug bear is a morning glucose consistently in the 6s but I guess as you said if I can keep my hba1c where it is, a high normal, maybe I shouldn't be worrying. Let's see what the next tests say.
 
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OrsonKartt

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Thankyou for your comments @AloeSvea. I was hba1c of 40 on last test (april 20) and am awaiting next blood results. I was bmi 23 on diagnosis down to 20 after low carbing and taking on board all the great advice on this site. My main bug bear is a morning glucose consistently in the 6s but I guess as you said if I can keep my hba1c where it is, a high normal, maybe I shouldn't be worrying. Let's see what the next tests say.

I’m a tall skinny type. BMI 20, sometimes less , always low carb / keto (4 years +) .... morning sugars mainly 6 ish sometimes 5 ish. ... I try to eat in the morning only if I’m really hungry which sometimes happens.

I can’t say that I’ve noticed much difference in fasting numbers either way.

Now I enjoy that fasting feeling of lightness - also the enjoyment of food is more significant after periods without.

..... it took me a while to lose the anxiety of those numbers. I try to be more relaxed about it now. My advise try stuff out and see what happens.
 

NicoleC1971

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Does anyone has any advice whether fasting is detrimental if you are a low weight to begin with. I am interested in 16/8 to reduce morning blood glucose readings but dont want to lose weight. Current BMI 20. Thank you!
16/8 should be fine but remember to re feed with plenty of protein and fat so that you maximise your muscle mass. Your BMI doesn't tell me your body fat levels but I'd assume you are a lean type with low levels of muscle? During those 8 hours you may need to include high quality carbs in order to get enough calories to allow you to build muscle in response to some kind of resistance training. If you don't eat enough there's a risk that your body will use muscle for fuel though this is a last resort!
I know this a low carb kind of a forum but for those trying to keep their muscle mass up some insulin and hence some carb may still be required where the person is already lean.
I would avoid anything longer than 16 hour fasting but you can keep an eye on your waist size and blood sugars as a decent measure of success rather than bmi unless you are clearly losing a lot of muscle as well as fat.
Also see how you feel after a week or 2 of trying this!
 
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Saman1

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Does anyone has any advice whether fasting is detrimental if you are a low weight to begin with. I am interested in 16/8 to reduce morning blood glucose readings but dont want to lose weight. Current BMI 20. Thank you!
My BMI is 19.8 , But I am on a very low carb diet for the last 3-4 months and the HBA1c has come down from 7.1 to 6.1 so far. I want to bring the BMI under 19, I had diabetes for over 35 years, hope this will help. Dr Jason Fung (youtube) says even the skinny people may have fat in the liver and pancreas
 

carty

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I am a skinny type 2 and my morning levels are always 2 or more above levels at any other time .I have tried every thing known to man woman child and probably Elephant !! And it still won't come down So my liver must be so concerned about me that it throws out a load of glucose to save me from starving to death before I can have breakfast What would it do it I fasted !!!?:arghh:
Carol
 
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Claudia 1961

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IMHO, you would be better off doing some light resistance training, fasting while lean is more likely to burn more muscle mass, decreasing the very engine that burns glucose. Imho, it’s better to increase lean mass which adds more insulin receptors .

Yes agreed. I am 19.2 bmi, having lost some weight eating low carb but not fasting. To my horror I lost some muscle. Not lots but I noticed. I always built muscle by eating carbs beforehand so I can’t imagine fasting would be good for holding on to muscle. Better eat, even if it’s cheese, so I can work out.
 

daffy1

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Yes agreed. I am 19.2 bmi, having lost some weight eating low carb but not fasting. To my horror I lost some muscle. Not lots but I noticed. I always built muscle by eating carbs beforehand so I can’t imagine fasting would be good for holding on to muscle. Better eat, even if it’s cheese, so I can work out.
Ive been seeing a dietician for the last year to try and get my sugars under control so I tried the 50 g carb and stuck quite rigidly to it . My dietician wasn’t impressed and said the long term results were not known but Ive now started to lose muscle mass in my legs and have been told to up it he carbs which I have done but unfortunately my sugars have risen as well. It seems you can’t win, aching muscles or higher sugars
 

catinahat

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lose muscle mass in my legs and have been told to up it he carbs
Having trouble understanding this bit of advice you have been given. Why would increasing carbs build muscle? Increasing carbs for a T2 will just build fat.
If they had said to up your protein and increase your exercise it would have made sense. Increasing carbs is never a good idea for a T2, unless it's to avoid a medication induced hypo, even then reducing your meds would be preferable.
I think you need to put that advice in the same bin as the you don't need to test and porridge is a good breakfast advice.